The Courier-Journal ran a nice article on Sunday about the Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University. This public-boarding-school-on-a-college-campus operates as just about the only charter school Kentucky has (the only other example includes the Model Lab Schools at Eastern Kentucky University).
Gatton Academy enrolls about 120 of Kentucky’s most promising high school students in an enriched math and science environment. The kids get challenges suitable to their considerable skills, and, as the Courier’s article points out, everyone stands to benefit.
But, why does Kentucky only have one such academy, and why is it so far away from so many areas of the state including at least one region – Appalachia – that even the Courier realizes needs better educational opportunities?
Why, if Gatton is so great, don’t we locate similar academies at all our universities?
In fact, Courier-Journal new staff, why doesn’t Louisville have a similar school at the U of L? As one of Kentucky’s two research universities, isn’t U of L even better equipped to handle highly promising math and science students than Western?
Finally, for that matter, why don’t we have more choices for all of our kids? Why does a kid have to be one of the top 120 in the entire state before his family gets a choice option for a better education? Why is Kentucky still one of only 10 states – a number that will diminish if Washington has its way – that refuses most of our kids and their parents the opportunity for choice that a general charter school program provides?
Right now, Kentucky only has 120 special kids. We at the Bluegrass Institute think all our kids and parents should have an opportunity to be special.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Courier on the Gatton Academy – Telling a story but missing the big picture
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2 comments:
Fayette county has a county wide Math and Science Technology Magnet program at Dunbar High School that enrolls about 25 kids a year. They start school an hour early to include an extra math class and have to present publishable quality research project their senior year. One year the program put 6 students into MIT - I've been told that that feat hasn't been duplicated by any school, no matter the size. My daughter is a graduate and it is a great program. The biggest problem is that there is no specific funding for the program so as the years have gone on, many of the special projects the kids used to do have dropped by the wayside. We'll spend any amount to help kids at the bottom of the spectrum, but nothing at the other end. Many studies show that the talented kids are as at risk as the low achievers if not challenged. (The program has also produced 3 Jeopardy winners)
RE: Moooose's comment
I suspect there are a few more of these magnet programs floating around, but 25 kids doesn't even come close to matching the enrollment in one typical charter school.
We need a universal charter law for all of Kentucky to open up a lot more opportunities to a lot more kids. Token special programs that serve only a handful of students won't due and don't begin to address the obvious need.
I'll have more on that tomorrow, so stay tuned.
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